Car-coupling



(No Model.)

T. PENN. GAR ooUPLING.

No. 476,168'. Patented May 31, 1892.

@afm/4% UNITED STATES @PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS PENN, OF REIDSVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent No. 476,168, dated May 31,1892.

Application tiled December 30, 1891. Serial No. 416,606. (No model.)

The object is to couple cars automatically,

thus obviating all danger to human life and limb in the operation, andto be able to cause the uncoupling of cars by a single act in onedirection, which act shall also place the device in position forrecoupling of itself.

With these objects in view the invention consists in a draw-headprovided with a shouldered pin and a latch, the pin in being raisedoperating the latch to bring it under the shoulder to sustain the pin bythe latch until the latch is thrown back.

Furthermore, the invention consists in a draw-head provided with ashouldered pin and with a jaw having a disk which sustains the pin whenthe jaw is open.

Furthermore, the invention consists in a draw-head provided with a pinhaving a shoulder and with a jaw having a disk which takes under the pinand holds it up when the jaw is open, presenting itself to be struck toclose the jaw and releasing the pin and letting it drop when the jaw isclosed, there being cams placed together at the joint, one cam beingfixed and one on the jaw moving with the jaw, whereby the jaw will beheld open until it is forcibly closed by the jaw on the opposingcoupling when the cars come together; and, finally, the inventionconsists in the details of construction shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and inwhich like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure lis a view in plan from the top of two draw-heads, showing the couplerstogether coupled and in dotted lines one of the jaws open. Fig. 2 is aview in perspective of one of the draw-heads with the jaw open, showingsome details. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation with parts broken awayto show the pin supported on the latch. Fig. 4

is a similar view showing the pin supported on the jaw. Fig. 5 is a viewin perspective of a draw-head inverted, showing the lower ends of thepin and latch. Fig. 6 is a View in perspective of Vthe coupling-pin.Fig. is a detail view of the joint of the jaw with its side of thedraw-head, showing cams for holding the jaw open for coupling; and Fig.S is a view in plan from the top with the top plate removed, showing thechamber.

In the drawings,Adesignates a draw-head, the front of which-isvertically concave, one side a of the concavity being preferablysomewhat incurved and heavy and the other side a2 curved somewhatoutward and preferably lighter, presentingaguide,two opposing headsonthe cars being so arranged that the side n? of the one willbe oppositethe side a of the other. The draw-heads may be lightened by making thesame with grooves, as shown, and their draw-bars may be hollow.Extending rearward from the vertical concavity inthe 'drawhead is ahorizontal inout or chamber n.3, and this chamber contains certainoperative parts, as will presently be described. The drawhead and itsbar may be made in one piece; but it is preferred to make them up incontinuous layers, as shown, the chamber being formed by incutting themiddle layer to the proper configuration, allowing the top and bottomlayers to afford the top and bottom thereof, respectively. Passingdownward into and through the chamber is a pin B, broad above andnarrower below, leaving an offset or shoulder h, (which will be withinthe chamber in use,) and provided with an enlarged end b2, from whichthere is a projection b3.

A transverse slot b4 is cut through the bottom of the draw-head, behindthe wall of the vertical concavity thereof, and opens into the chambera3, and in this slot is hung a kind of bell-crank lever C, pivoted at cand having a shoulder c2, the whole device presenting a latch. The latchis so arranged in the slot that its shoulder c2 will be directly overthe projection h3 of the pin B and its arm c3 directly under theshoulder b thereof. The operation of this part of the device will beclear. As the pin is raised the projection h3 not only keeps it frombeing pulled out, but, striking against the shoulder c2, turns the latchon its pivot and swings the arm. c3 upward until its end comes directlyunder the shoulder b, and as the pin B islet go its shoulder b fallsupon and holds up the latch and the pin itself is held up. Pivoted inthe side a is a jaw D, composed of two parts, a clasping or clampingpart presenting a coupler portion d and a disk or inward projecting partpresenting a disk portion d2, having a curved edge d3 and a iiattenedoffset d4, leading from this, the distance of the edge from the centerincreasing from front to rear. From the offset Z4 toward the pivot is anincurve d5. The disk portion is of such size and is entered into thechamber a3 in such manner that its lateral curved edge will cross thelower narrow portion of the pin as the pin is raised and the jaw isopened, while the offset d4 will abut against the upper broad portion ofthe pin when the pin is down. The incurve d5 makes the front of the diskconform to the concavity of the chamber when the jaw is closed.v Whenthe jaw is open, the disk will project out into the vertical concavityof the draw-head, the offset d4 presenting a suitable surface to bestruck to push the disk back and close the jaw. At the pivot there is afixed cam d4, and there is also a cam d( on the jaw. The cams are soarranged with relation to one another that their faces will be iiush ortogether, with the cam on the jaw at its lowest point, when the jaw isopen. The effect of this is that as the cam d on the jaw must ride up onthe cam a4 to close the jaw the jaw will tend to remain open until someforce is brought to bear to close it.

The operation of the entire device will now be clear. The pin havingbeen raised and being held up bythe latch, pulling one car from theother will pull open a jaw D, thus releasing one coupling from theother. As the jaw opens its disk, taking against the arm c3 of thelatch, throws this from under the shoulder of the pin, whereupon itfalls back to its normal position by gravity; but by the disk passingunder the shoulder the pin is sustained, and so remains until the jaw isagain closed, when the disk passes from under the shoulder, and as thelatch is then down there remains nothing to hold up the pin, and thisthen falls, whereupon the broad portion of the pin is in the path ofmotion of the disk, the jaw is locked shut, and the coupling iscompleted.

It will be understood that a jaw being left open and the device being inposition to be closed by a stroke against the projecting edge of thedisk when a car having a similar draw-head with its jaw closed has itsdrawhead brought against the first the jaw of the second draw-head willstrike against the disk of the first and close its jaw into the jaw ofthe second, while if both jaws are open each jaw will operate to closethe other. The coupling is thus perfectly automatic,

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a car-coupler, a draw-head provided with a shouldered pin having aprojection at its lower end, and a latch, the said projection when thepin is raised operating the latch to sustain the pin, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a car-coupler, a draw-head provided with a shouldered pin having aprojection at its lower end, and a latch pivoted independently of thepin, the latch being operated by the projection when the pin is raised,substantially as described.

8. In a car-coupler, a draw-head provided With a shouldered pin, alatch, anda jaw having a disk fixed to it, the pin being raisedoperating the latch to bring it under the shoulder to sustain the pin,and the jaw in being opened causing its disk to throw out the latch anditself sustain the pin, but upon being closed, as by its disk beingproperly struck, releasing the pin and allowing it to drop, locking thejaw, and thus coupling, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my si gnature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS PENN. Witnesses:

J. H. ZEvELY, JN0. LEWIS HEARD.

